Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


drainage is not possible it is sometimes helpful to raise and
mound the trees. It is probable that in many cases the trees
should never have been planted on lands where such a practice
is necessary. On the other hand, lack of drainage may be due
to the presence of a pocket formed by a-hardpan subsoil. This
should be broken thru or drainage established by means of
ditches.
 After draining, the land should be put in a good condition of
 tilth. Lime should be used in amounts in proportion to the needs
 of the soil. If the land is rather heavy and well supplied with
 organic matter only mineral fertilizers should be used; the crop
 of grass and weeds should be cut and removed for hay or used
 as a mulch, and cultivation reduced as much as possible.
 If the land is sandy and lacking in humus and the crop of
 grass, weeds and legumes does not grow well, a light scattering
 of stable manure-one or two tons per acre-worked into the
 soil will prove helpful. The application should not be repeated
 for a year or more. If possible, the trees should be mulched and
 normal cultivation be given to the middles. A leguminous cover
 crop should be grown and cut. It should be turned under at
 plowing time every other year. Each intervening year it' may
 be removed as hay. The average amount of ammonia shofhld be
 used in the fertilizer, and the fertilizer not be used in laige
 amounts. Regular applications are to be made. A
 Hardpan.-The organic hardpans occur on the palmetto flat-
 woods lands where the water-table has stood at a certain depth
 for a considerable period of time. They are often thin and can be
 broken thru by hand tools or with dynamite. They interfere
 with the movement of moisture from the lower strata, so that
 during times of drouth the soil above them may be insufficiently
 .supplied with moisture.
 Where possible, the grove should be given the normal cultiva-
tion as previously described. If the cover crop makes a healthy
growth it should be turned under only in alternate years. The
amount of fertilizers used need not be large but it should be
.applied regularly. If there is any lack of drainage this must be
taken care of and the grove practices modified as already de-
:scribed under the heading, Lack of Drainage."
 The organic hardpans are sometimes underlaid by a pure
white sand, which is quite unsuitable for the growth of the
-citrus roots. Where such occurs the roots should be encouraged